Research article | Open Access
International Journal of Progressive Education 2026, Vol. 22(3) 17-27
Transforming the Invisible: A Reggio Emilia-Inspired Art Education Model for Disadvantaged Preschoolers
pp. 17 - 27 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20540025
Publish Date: June 04, 2026 | Single/Total View: 2/1 | Single/Total Download: 2/1
Abstract
This action research study investigates the transformative potential of a Reggio Emilia-inspired art education model for disadvantaged preschool children in the Marmara Region of Türkiye. Conducted with a cohort of 22 children aged 4–6—including refugees, children with special educational needs (SEN), and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds—the study sought to dismantle rigid, traditional educational practices that hinder developmental autonomy. Over an 11-week intervention titled “Knowing Artists”, participants engaged with the works of Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Osman Hamdi Bey through inquiry-based studios. Drawing on Wright’s (2020) application of ‘dreamkeeping’ and Cutcher and Boyd’s (2016) framework of collaborative pedagogy, the study illustrates how replacing deficit-based instruction with the “hundred languages” of expression enhanced participants’ visual literacy, communication skills, and social-emotional regulation. The findings suggest that culturally responsive, intentional art education acts as a counter-narrative to the ‘symbolic violence’ often experienced by marginalized children in formal schooling.
Keywords: Reggio Emilia approach, action research, early childhood education, symbolic violence, art education
APA 7th edition
Alagoz, S.K., & Riedler, M. (2026). Transforming the Invisible: A Reggio Emilia-Inspired Art Education Model for Disadvantaged Preschoolers. International Journal of Progressive Education, 22(3), 17-27. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20540025
Harvard
Alagoz, S. and Riedler, M. (2026). Transforming the Invisible: A Reggio Emilia-Inspired Art Education Model for Disadvantaged Preschoolers. International Journal of Progressive Education, 22(3), pp. 17-27.
Chicago 16th edition
Alagoz, Semanur Kulan and Martina Riedler (2026). "Transforming the Invisible: A Reggio Emilia-Inspired Art Education Model for Disadvantaged Preschoolers". International Journal of Progressive Education 22 (3):17-27. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20540025
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